Zenon's Game Chapter 95

What if I'd never imagined a world where Zenon and I were blissfully dating, where we hung out together until we fell asleep together. A world where he didn't give me errands to pay down my debt on his laptop.

A world where I can always be the zen lemur.

"You focus on the downside," he said, "I'm placing my bets on the scenario where we make it."

The game was about to start. The crowds had gathered around the court. The players were getting in position.

"I'll miss every shot until you say yes," Zenon told me.

The Coach yelled out his name. Bryce's father was wearing a gold jersey with Coach Chadwick emblazoned on the back. Bryce himself was the referee. I questioned how fair this game would be.

"Yes to what?" I asked.

"Say yes to a date with me."

I stood in front of him, totally shell-shocked. I couldn't process this quickly... but he was used to me by now. My reactions have never been on point.

"Say yes and the only game I'll play is basketball." He winked.

That's something a player would say.

The whistle blew and the biased referee, Bryce, yelled out Zenon's name. Layton Hayes joined in. They were all waiting for him.

Zenon started walking towards center court.

"Take your time," he called back, "I got all night. Well, two hours actually."

Two hours of basketball. Two hours to confirm a date.

One more thing I wanted to add.

I watched him walk away and heard the crowd cheer as the game started.

I wished I had said one more thing to him. One more reason why I was holding back: I'm scared to risk our friendship. Whether he knows it or not, he is the best friend I've had, and I'm scared that if we don't work out...

I'll lose my best friend.

"Candace, why don't you come sit with us?" Oma approached me. I hadn't realized that I had been standing alone for so long. "We are all sitting there."

She pointed at the group, standing in prime viewing position. Charlotte waved.

I joined the group, wanting to blend in with the cheering spectators. The basketball teams were comprised of all ages; a few high school players like Zenon and Layton, but most were older. Employees at the bank and friends of the Chadwick family.

Bryce was running around with a whistle and long black socks that showed off his shapely legs.

Zenon kept looking at me before he aimed and... missed all the shots he took.

First time, I shook my head. Second time, I mouthed no. Third time, I put my head in my hands because everyone was going hysterical that Zenon kept missing.

Bryce kicked an opposing player. The guy dropped the ball and Bryce's father picked it up.

"Foul by the referee!"

"Why does the coach have the ball?!"

Things were fast deteriorating. Nicole was screaming her lungs out near me, furious at our team's behavior and happy her side was winning.

Supporters on our side were looking dejected. I didn't want to give in to Zenon's tactics... but...

That's when I saw Malik sitting in the front row, looking devastated. He was wearing a jersey Zenon had given him this summer and miserably watching his idol fail.

The game may not mean anything to me, but it meant a lot to them.

The next time Zenon held the ball in his hand, he wasn't looking as playful anymore. He looked dejected. He wasn't used to failing like this and he was beginning to suffer from it, but he was stubborn.

Why couldn't he just forget his stupid bet and play?!

Someone passed to him, though he was waving not to. He didn't want to be passed the ball anymore. The crowd started to boo him.

He stood reluctantly with the brown basketball in his hand and glanced over to me. No hope in his eyes.

I nodded.

His eyes widened. He stood there, frozen in place, while the crowd yelled at him. He was holding the ball too long. That's something I would do.

"Foul!" spectators yelled out, "Five second rule!"

I thought that just applied to food on the floor...

"Really?" Bryce stared at his stop watch and tapped it, "Maybe my clock is broken. I'll allow it!"

Bryce was not about to foul his friend. They had each other's back.

Layton Hayes furiously took matters into his own hands. He knocked the ball out of Zenon's hand and Zenon's teammates failed to recover it. Zenon just stared at me, waiting for me to change my mind.

I didn't. I nodded like crazy.

"YES!" I yelled.

His face lit up. It was incredible to watch the transformation that came over him. He intercepted the ball with amazing speed. He handled it like an extension of his own arm, dribbling it between someone's arms and across another player's back. Everyone soon realized that this was not the same Zenon Albert who had been playing with them for the first half. Even Layton Hayes hung back to watch.

Zenon ran across the court and hit a clean slam dunk. The first I'd ever seen him do.

The crowd roared and he raised his hands in the air towards us. Malik was jumping up and down screaming. Oma looked over at me once, and then twice.

"Hey Candace," she said, "weren't you wearing a necklace today?"

I immediately clasped my neck. It was bare.

The necklace was gone.

Mama's going to kill me.